The ham and Swiss on a pretzel roll one is decent especially if you have them heat it up. Not a huge fan of the turkey and cheddar one.
Texas Eagle discussion 2025
- Thread starter pennyk
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The ham and Swiss on a pretzel roll one is decent especially if you have them heat it up. Not a huge fan of the turkey and cheddar one.
Interesting point about the length of the bus ride. In the 1975 Oregon intercity bus study, we discovered a useful rule of thumb: 100% of people are willing to ride 1 hour, 50% 2 hours, 25% 4 hours, 12 ½% 8 hours, etc. Of course, there are other factors.
The I-20/US 80 Route between Marshall and Mineola is EZ as you said. ( I've probably been bustituted in East Texas 25 times thru the years during Trackwork!)
There wasn't any trackwork going on when the hubby and I rode the TE last fall, although there were delays due to freight traffic. I haven't had to deal with an Amtrak bustitution myself yet, but Son #1 did once when a tree fell on the Illini/Saluki/CONO tracks when he was taking the Illini (or Saluki) home for Thanksgiving one year. (The hubby and I had time to go watch a movie in Kankakee while we were waiting for his train to get here!)
fillyjonk
OBS Chief
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- Mar 10, 2011
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There are bustitutions and there are bustitutions. I've done Longview or Marshall to Mineola several times, it's simple. I've also done St Louis to Bloomington when they were doing the high-speed upgrades. That was a little less fun.
I once had to ride a bus (on fairly short notice, flooding) from St Louis to Mineola. That was overnight, it was terrible, and because it was short notice they were basically city buses and were uncomfortable. I was a lot younger then, and I actually drove the 2 1/2 hours home from Mineola after it and then went and taught the next day. Now I'd take the day off and stay overnight at a motel.
The driver also played loud, shoot-em-up movies all night on the tv system in the bus for the passengers, even with earplugs it was miserably loud.
I think Son #1's bustitution only lasted an hour or so until the tree was cleared from the tracks; then the train caught back up to the bus and everyone reboarded for the rest of their journey.
We have bustituted in east Texas, Marshall to FW, not too bad; and from SA to Austin, which is faster than the Eagle would have been.
Well, we are currently on 22 and stuck in Poplar Bluff and 10 1/2 hours late. The storms last night tore up Missouri with a reported tornado going across the track north of here. The tracks were cleared about an hour ago, but of course the delay has timed out our crew. The dog-catcher crew is supposedly on their way from St. Louis, so well when they get here and how late we end up being. We were supposed to catch the van from Springfield to Galesburg to catch 5, but that obviously is not happening now. Crew has made very few announcements, I’m very glad I have my scanner. It is VERY nice to see the SSL again, but as thought before, the diner is still serving Flex meals (and maybe beef stew tonight), bummer.
Whatever happens, I’m glad to be on the rails and not fighting the airlines.
Whatever happens, I’m glad to be on the rails and not fighting the airlines.
